Darren Shan is an ordinary boy who lives an ordinary life. But this all changes when he takes a trip to the Cirque Du Freak with his best mate Steve. They have a great time until Steve points out that one of the acts - a man named Larten Crepsley who has a really poisonous spider called Madam Octa - was a vampire.

Darren tries to get this out of his mind but he can't quite seem to do it. After the show Steve stays behind but Darren is curious to see what he is doing so he stays too. By the minute Darren becomes more and more suspicious about Steve.

Darren is just about to give up hope of hearing something interesting when he overhears something that Steve says. "I want to be a vampire!" What a shock Darren gets when he hears that! What Darren doesn't know is it's not Steve that's going to become a vampire...it's him...

Cirque Du Freak is a book everyone is sure to love. Once you start reading it's impossible to put down! Cirque Du Freak is the first book in the Saga Of Darren Shan. I recommend Cirque Du Freak and the rest of the series to everyone.